Blood Beauty
by nanamihikari
Summary: An intriguing dream leads Sesshomaru to investigate the smell of blood. Where are these emotions coming from? SessKag. First 6 chapters are sodapop0006's.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Savior

- Disclaimer - I do not own any of the characters, plots, or locations from Inuyasha. Some company holds all rights to Inuyasha and this story is only created for pleasure, not profit.

-2nd Disclaimer- I didn't write these first 6 chapters. That was sodapop0006. I'm simply borrowing them and continuing on where they left off. And yes, I have permission.

AN: To all of you that were waiting for me to post this, I'm sorry I took so long. With Christmas, mid-terms, exams, my birthday, my social life, etc. I haven't had much time to sit down and just re-read, edit, and post this story. But here it is!

-Blood Beauty-

Raven hair twirled itself around his vision. It was as though it had a life of its own, turning in the air in ways that defied all the laws of motion. The silky strands seemed to call out to him to touch them and feel their smoothness for himself. However, his eyes merely watched the spectacle, frozen in place for the moment. The smooth curve of a cheek flashed beneath the dark cascades of hair, tempting his gaze towards lush lips that seemed to call to him as they parted slightly, as though in a sigh of pleasure. A delicate nose could be seen peaking through in certain glimpses, but the mane of black never revealed her eyes.

He felt a strong urge to see those eyes, to see the spark that he knew he would find by the smooth, seductive movements of the figure before him. The body was indistinct, but he could tell that it curved much the same as the cheekbones that he beheld. A scent of lavender permeated the air around the alluring vision, accompanied by the enveloping sensation of heat. He felt as though if he strayed too close, he would be lost to the heat and melt his icy form. But to melt… would not be acceptable. He constrained himself and his mouth fixed tightly as he watched this… wind dancer. A glow seemed to form around the swaying body and it grew brighter. Perhaps the dancer had actually caught fire in the heat that was being emitted, the air around them both grew light and the figure seemed to blend into it, raven locks dimming into a gentle gray. Golden eyes never left the movement in front of him, even as the brightness consumed his vision.

Blinking, Sesshomaru found himself staring at the canopy above his bed. Light shone in through the large windows on the opposite wall and made the room uncomfortably bright. Silently, the demon lord pulled his legs over the side of his bed and stood, moving over towards the windows. Drawing thin curtains over them, the light was dimmed to a more reasonable level and he could look about him with more ease. His dreams of late somewhat perturbed him, although he bore his stoic expression well. Sesshomaru would never admit to being disturbed by mere dreams, though he would at least acknowledge that they were mysterious in origin. Never before had he envisioned a female, a very alluring female at that, in his dreams. In fact he had very rarely dreamed before the last couple months, only occasionally turned towards visions of bloodlust and violence. Sesshomaru had not expected such a peaceful dream to ever present itself.

Dressing with calm routine, Sesshomaru commenced with attempts to banish the dreams from his mind altogether. This mysterious figure was of no consequence to him. He had never seen nor smelled anything like what he envisioned and thus were of no importance in his life. This dancer… would have no impact on his ability to rule the Western Lands as he ought to. Decided and confident, Sesshomaru left his room and moved towards the dining hall to meet with his charge before surveying his lands.

Upon entering the vast dining hall, a small, blue blur quickly attached itself to Sesshomaru's leg. A small, dark-haired child grinned up at the expressionless demon lord.

"Good morning, Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin's little voice chirped out, as she hugged his leg tightly to her. Sesshomaru looked down at the little girl and calmly put his clawed hand on her head. Giving the slightest nod, Sesshomaru watched Rin beam happily at him and duck under his hand back to one of the tables, where she had previously been eating breakfast. Sesshomaru moved to the head of the table where Rin was sitting only a seat away and sat down to inspect his charge and her breakfast. Listening to the child chat away about everything she was going to do that day, Sesshomaru waited with her until she had finished her meal. Satisfied that Rin was being well fed and well occupied, he stood again and exited the hall, leaving Rin to her morning plans.

Moving efficiently past beautifully decorated halls, Sesshomaru made his way out to the gardens and had a cloud form beneath his feet. Rising into the air, he ignored the shrieks and spluttering of an ancient, green toad that was attempting to follow him while he began his morning patrol. Taking note of the scent of wolves on his eastern border, Sesshomaru planned to address those particular youkai after completing his rounds. While harmless, they had no business on his lands and Sesshomaru would make sure that they realized their intrusion and remedied the situation quickly. Ruffians would not be tolerated while Sesshomaru ruled the Western Lands.

He finished his rounds, assured that nothing was amiss with his lands. He was about to go confront the wolf youkai in a rather… unpleasant manner for them, when he caught the scent of blood. A rather large amount of blood, as his nose detected. Ordinarily this would not concern him, but Sesshomaru paused as he sniffed at the blood scent again. There was something very disturbing about the scent. It was unsettling in such a large amount, though Sesshomaru could detect the sweetness that it held behind the feeling of uneasiness that it evoked in him. The scent was coming from just beyond his border and he contemplated simply letting it go uninvestigated, but even as he turned to move away, the wrong feeling increased. Curiosity piqued, Sesshomaru tracked the blood scent in the air.

Nose to the air, Sesshomaru was mildly surprised to find that the blood was further than he had expected. This fact only served to increase his uneasiness, as though the fact that it had to be so much blood to have been detected from his lands at all. Increasingly, Sesshomaru also found the scent of Naraku permeating the area and was annoyed. What had the half-breed done now? He was coming upon a clearing and he calmly strode into it, confident that he could handle whatever he found there.

He did not find anything that would give cause for battle, however. The field was littered with remains of youkai and nothing appeared to be left alive. The youkai blood was easily dismissed as Sesshomaru searched for the source of the sweet blood he was looking for. He could detect left over wisps of Naraku's miasma and concluded that the filthy hanyou had been involved with the fight. Inspecting the large field carefully, Sesshomaru made his way over towards a smattering of oaks towards the north end of the clearing. There seemed to be fewer bodies left in this area and indicated that the defending persons had stationed there. The blood that drew him on intensified with his proximity and Sesshomaru found himself before one of the trees, looking at a crumpled form at its base.

Blood seemed to cover her from head to toe, though not all of it appeared to be her own. Dark hair stuck out in dried clumps, appearing to show a large gash near her forehead. Sesshomaru was aggravated that the woman was obviously a ningen. He would get no use from her, but he did not leave right away and continued to inspect the damage. The gash did not appear to be bleeding anymore, but there were also cuts adorning her torso and legs that still bled, though very slowly. A nasty wound wrapped itself around the left side of her waist and blood steadily crept out of it. Her skin was raw and scraped, though the small patches of unblemished skin showed a smooth, soft appearance, though unnaturally pale. The clothes she wore were ragged and shredded in certain places. They managed to cover her more private areas and even where one sleeve was ripped off entirely, some tight garment fitted her from being completely exposed. With various amounts of damage, the woman was surely dying. Sesshomaru could feel her life slipping away with brief moments of her heart attempting to keep beating. He noticed that her hand was clenched around a mangled bow, arrows nowhere to be seen. The woman's face was turned into the bark of the tree, preventing any further view of damages done to her face. She was sure to die quite soon.

Breathing in her scent, something nagged his mind that there was something familiar about the woman. Her blood, though he now knew it to be of a simple human, continued to disturb his senses. It was this that kept him from leaving the scene. He reached a finger to touch her blood and possibly taste it to try and determine what it was that kept him on edge, but before he could touch her, a small pink glow emitted from the site that he had been reaching for. So, the woman was a miko. A very powerful one, to defend her body even in such a state of damage. Sesshomaru considered the situation and attempted to piece together the identity of the broken woman before him. A slight movement caught his eye and Sesshomaru saw a small kitsune, nearly hidden in the roots of the oak, moaning softly and unconsciously reaching toward the woman he stood over now.

The kitsune was not so damaged and appeared to have only a couple deep cuts that were not to be concerned with. Sesshomaru could see that the fox cub was already healing from his injuries and would be fine by the end of the day, perhaps. That cub, however, sparked more familiarity in Sesshomaru and he suddenly realized that he had seen the two before, together. They were the ones that traveled with his half-brother, the same miko that was guardian of the Shikon no Tama. The battle scene made a lot more sense, as they would have been pursuing Naraku for the shards of the jewel that Sesshomaru knew Naraku hunted for. Sesshomaru did not understand, however, why the miko's blood was so disturbing to his nose, when he was sure that he had smelt it before and felt nothing. Perhaps something had changed. There was some subtlety that was eluding him for the moment as Sesshomaru had his mind quietly nagging that there was more to the woman that he was familiar with.

Dismissing the thread his mind had ventured towards, Sesshomaru looked around for signs of his half-brother and the monk and taijiya that he knew also traveled with the miko. Finding none of them, he contemplated what to do about the miko. His senses would not allow him to dismiss her easily, though his mind disregarded her as nothing. He wondered whether he should simply allow her to die and revive her with Tenseiga to escape his sense's urge to do something. Or perhaps his unease would disappear with her death altogether. Looking at her, Sesshomaru was startled to find that the idea of allowing her death repulsed him. He had never been repulsed by his actions or lack of actions before, so why was this woman causing them now? But what could he do to make this… anxious feeling go away? Considering her death was repulsing him, Sesshomaru would have to make her live. The only question was how?

He could not touch her without having her powers expend her energy attempting to defend her from a potential threat. But he could not heal her without touching her. Sesshomaru slowly moved to try to touch her again, willing her to allow his touch. He spotted a flicker of pink, but it seemed that she was either too weak to continue fighting, or she had somehow sensed that he meant no harm. Calmly, Sesshomaru spat on his hand and moved to clear away her wounds. Hopefully, the healing qualities would aid in stopping the flow of blood and her miko abilities would not reject the demon aid. Sesshomaru felt his discomfort ease as the woman's skin began to close up over the injuries. Having dealt with all of her minor injuries and the gash on her forehead, Sesshomaru turned to the wound on her waist. Demon saliva would not be enough to heal such a deep wound. Slowly, Sesshomaru cut his lip with one of his fangs and allowed his blood to gather in his mouth. Spitting the mixture of blood and saliva into his palm, he pressed his hand over the flowing blood carefully. Waiting, he leaned in towards the gash to see how her blood would react to the new intrusion.

Moments slipped by where he imagined that her blood was moving faster, perhaps flowing to purify the demon blood that was trying to move into her body. Then, some muscle in her stomach convulsed and he pressed harder in an effort to maintain contact and force her to accept the demon blood that would save her. The spasm died away and the wound began to harden until the flow of blood halted. The area was still raw and could be easily broken, so Sesshomaru drew away and stood by, waiting. His senses were calmed now, feeling no more outpouring of blood from the miko's body, but something still felt out of place, as though he had not completed something, and so he would wait.

Morning had drawn on to midday as Sesshomaru watched over the unconscious miko and pondered the events that had led to it. How could it be that she would be left wounded here, alone? Surely the taijiya, the monk, or his half-breed brother would have been here or taken her away to aid her. Or, if not, then Naraku would surely have taken her, had she been so helpless in his presence. Where were her companions? Sesshomaru could tell that they had been here before, as he now recognized the scents lingering in the area to be theirs. Their scents were not very strong around the miko's body, however, and he did not know whether they had been with her while she was in this deteriorated state. Still, even had they not realized her poor health, it did not make sense that they would leave her behind, as they had never done so in previous battles, as he was aware.

Sesshomaru's musings and watchfulness were interrupted by a presence approaching from the eastern woods. He waited until he could distinguish whose presence it was before moving towards the miko to stand between the incoming visitor and the woman's body. Moving with near reckless speed, Inuyasha charged toward the battlefield. He stopped short as he spotted Sesshomaru and quickly assessed the situation.

"You!" Inuyasha spat towards his half-brother. Sesshomaru merely stared at Inuyasha and the hanyou began to tremble in fury, "If you've done anything with Kagome, I will rip your head off!"

Sesshomaru did not bat an eye, "I have done no harm to your miko. I have merely saved her life." He watched as Inuyasha's eyes widened incredulously.

"You? Save the life of a human?" Inuyasha scoffed. "I won't believe that until I see it myself. Why would you save Kagome? You care nothing for humans."

Sesshomaru merely moved to the side, "Then see for yourself, half-breed." Cold golden eyes watched Inuyasha stop breathing at the sight of the miko. She was still covered in dry blood and battered-looking, but her skin was a healthier color than her pallid air before and more breath was brought into her body as her heart beat steadily. Inuyasha spared Sesshomaru a suspicious look, but seemed to decide that he was not about to start a fight. Moving tensely past Sesshomaru, leaving space between them and never turning his back, Inuyasha slowly approached the woman. But as Inuyasha drew nearer, the air crackled with a pink energy, one stronger than what Sesshomaru had witnessed before, and Inuyasha was forced to move back.

Inuyasha's eyes sparked in his rage, "You did not save her! You can't even get to her, just like before!" Inuyasha glared at Sesshomaru, who hid his curiosity in his solemn gaze. Taking a few steps towards the miko's body, nothing happened as Sesshomaru leaned in towards the healing body. Inuyasha unsheathed Tetsusaiga immediately. "Get away from her," he growled menacingly. Sesshomaru merely gave him a look of scorn before considering the miko before him.

"Interesting," Sesshomaru quietly noted. The wound on her waist had healed more now and the skin was not as tender as before. Sesshomaru determined that he could move her without affecting the injury and he slowly turned her and grasped her around her shoulder blades and hooked his hand around her knees. The air cracked again as Inuyasha lunged towards Sesshomaru, but was stopped by the shield that was apparently protecting the miko. Furiously attacking the barrier, Inuyasha yelled curses at the demon lord, who merely ignored him.

Once the woman was secure, Sesshomaru formed a cloud below his feet and began to rise in the air, sniffing for the direction that Inuyasha had come from. He would return her to where he assumed the monk and the taijiya had gone to, if only to annoy his half-brother. Inuyasha followed Sesshomaru closely, knowing that he could not attack when Sesshomaru could drop Kagome at any moment. Tersely, they made the way towards Kaede's hut, taking over an hour to reach their destination, even with their demon speed.

Sesshomaru spotted the monk outside the hut, whom also saw them immediately. Tensing, the monk planted himself in front of the door until he realized what it was that the demon lord was carrying. He quietly mouthed, 'Kagome?' and moved cautiously towards Sesshomaru as he landed on the ground. Inuyasha took his stance a short distance away, his eyes never leaving Sesshomaru's movements. Inching closer, Miroku was startled to feel the air around him tense, making him aware that the barrier around Kagome was still intact. Glancing at the cold demon before him, he quickly made a decision.

Bowing respectfully, Miroku spoke, "Sesshomaru-sama, would you please bring Kagome into Kaede's hut? I cannot come close enough to touch her and do not want to see her harmed."

Mildly surprised, the Taiyoukai's face showed nothing as he stepped towards the front of the hut, forcing Miroku to step back to the side. Entering the hut, Sesshomaru was displeased to be cramped into such a small place and quickly looked for a place to set down the miko in his arm. Noting the taijiya on a mat in the corner and her shocked expression, Sesshomaru moved to place the miko on a mat by the opposite wall. The taijiya was obviously badly injured, but Sesshomaru could see the preparation to fight follow her shock until the monk came in through the door. He quickly shook his head at the woman and turned towards the stiff demon.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama. We are grateful that you have brought Kagome back to us unharmed," Miroku inclined his head towards Sesshomaru as Inuyasha burst through the door. Inuyasha quickly moved to put himself between Kagome and the demon lord, but the barrier crackled fiercely the moment he was in reach and he was forced to back down, a furious expression on his face.

On Sesshomaru's part, the incomplete feeling had not gone away, but he wished to leave the small hut and the village that reeked of human. With the miko in his arms, he had made due with her scent, the blood smell fading and her own natural smell waft teasingly underneath. Though he could not determine what it reminded him of, Sesshomaru had never before known a human to smell so inviting. He supposed that since she did not have the strong reek of other humans, it would seem inviting to simply not have their scent, but a part of him wondered over it. Moving towards the door, Sesshomaru paused as an old woman entered from another room. The woman, Kaede, moved towards the miko, pausing just outside of reach. The air was tense around the girl and Kaede could not approach her.

Looking over at Sesshomaru, Kaede studied him carefully, noting the dried flakes of blood that rested on his clothes here and there. Nodding to herself, she inquired, "Miroku, what has happened with Kagome?"

Glancing at Sesshomaru, Miroku explained, "As you know, we ran into Naraku and his minions. We managed to overcome most of the demons, but it was difficult. Though we did everything we could, we all suffered greatly from the battle. Kagome had managed to send an arrow at Naraku's body and it seemed that he was injured. He quickly called all of his minions away and the field was deserted. But Kagome, it seemed, had fainted from the blood loss from various injuries picked up from the battle. We also could not approach her, as her miko powers had somehow managed to erect a shield around her body, even in unconsciousness." Here, Miroku stole another glance at the Taiyoukai, who had not moved an inch. "With all of us so injured, I had to return Sango here to mend her wounds and recover from the poison insects that Naraku had brought in. With the barrier, Inuyasha felt safe to return us here with Kirara and then go back for Kagome. However Sesshomaru-sama was the one to bring back Kagome, despite the barrier, it seems," Miroku stopped in contemplation.

Considering Miroku's words, Kaede turned to face Sesshomaru, "Are ye the only one that can touch Kagome now, Sesshomaru-sama?"

Sesshomaru's cold eyes met Kaede's passively, "It would seem so." He looked towards his brother, who had crouched before Kagome, still tense and angered at listening to Miroku's portrayal of events. Inwardly smirking, Sesshomaru turned his gaze to the miko once more. Not even the old woman could touch her now. 'Very curious,' he thought.

Considering Kagome carefully, Kaede once again motioned towards the demon lord. "Infection could occur if she is not properly washed," she stated. "Would you be willing to wash Kagome at the spring to prevent this?"

"HELL NO!" Inuyasha abruptly stood up. "We can't just give her over to Sesshomaru! He will kill her!" Golden eyes flashing fiercely, Inuyasha stood tense in front of Kagome, prepared to defend her.

"It will only hurt her if we delay," Kaede said simply. "Right now, Sesshomaru-sama, you are the only one who may aid her. Will you do this?"

Sesshomaru looked upon this bold woman, mind rejecting the idea of helping a human. Looking at the miko, however, Sesshomaru felt a need to further investigate the source of the incomplete feeling that he had. Nodding shortly and briefly, Sesshomaru acknowledged Kaede's request.

"NO! I WON'T ALLOW IT!" Inuyasha spat. He threw his arms out to his sides, claws out and ready for an attack. Sesshomaru didn't change his expression, but prepared to use Toukjin if necessary. They all stopped at a rustle from Kagome. Inuyasha stared at her, waiting to see what would happen. It seemed that she murmured something unintelligible, and Inuyasha leaned in as close as the shield would allow, trying to make out what she was muttering. After a few terse moments, with everyone's attention on the miko as she stilled. In the silence, Kagome clearly muttered, "Sit, boy," throwing Inuyasha to the ground.

With Inuyasha prostrate on the floor, Sesshomaru took the opportunity to grasp Kagome in his arm again, with Inuyasha cursing him colorfully all the while. He calmly made his way out of the hut, relieved to be rid of the reek of the hut, and made his way towards the scent of water.

-------

A/N: There you go! I love Sesshomaru and Kagome! 

---


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Bathing

- Disclaimer - I do not own any of the characters, plots, or locations from Inuyasha. Some company holds all rights to Inuyasha and this story is only created for pleasure, not profit.

- 2nd Disclaimer – Once again, I tell you I didn't write these first 6 chapters. These few chapters were all written by sodapop0006. I'm just going off of her story, with her permission of course.

A/N:

---

Wafts of steam rose above the hot spring that Sesshomaru was approaching, with the miko in his arm yet again. He placed the miko on the grass and contemplated the easiest manner of cleaning her wounds. The spring grew deep fairly quickly, so he would not be able to simply lay her in the water. Sesshomaru did not want to go through the trouble of bringing the water to her either. They would both have to go into the spring to have this done as quickly as possible. Without much care, Sesshomaru stripped, making sure to leave his swords close to the spring, should anything unexpected come along. Looking at Kagome's tattered rags, Sesshomaru simply cut them off. They would serve no use to her anyway. Finding a pair of undergarments, the demon lord did not smell any blood in either area and allowed them to remain. Without any ceremony or hesitation, Sesshomaru scooped up the woman and carried her into the water.

Carefully, Sesshomaru held the miko's body against a boulder and kept her propped up by holding a knee under her thighs. This kept his hand free to run the water over the injured skin and cleanse it. Gently prodding her waist, he made sure that the warm water had not caused the skin to become too tender and bleed freely again. The growing scab held firm, however, though some of the minor ones on her arms had softened. Making sure to spread the water over her arms and torso, Sesshomaru rubbed off all of the dried blood and was somewhat pleased to find several areas of unmarred skin underneath the layer of dirt and blood. Turning slightly from the woman, Sesshomaru ran his hand beneath the water over her legs and feet as well, thoroughly checking for swollen areas with his deft fingers. Finding only one by her ankle, he pressed his side into her to raise her leg above the water and check on the damage.

The wound looked uglier than the damage it actually caused, Sesshomaru suspected. It was a cut on the inside of her ankle only a few inches long, but the sides of it had swelled up, apparently in danger of infection. There was not much to be done about it now, but the old woman would have to be informed to treat it. Turning back towards the miko's face, Sesshomaru took a pause. He had not had a chance to inspect her features closely before, as he had considered it unwise to move her too much and her head seemed to hang limp and directed away from his view. Now, Sesshomaru tilted her chin back to have a good look at her. Her facial structure was smooth, with a gentle curve lined by her hair. She had a dainty nose and heavy lashes that would hide her eyes if lowered, he was sure. A cut had split her bottom lip, something he had not noticed before and he moved to run the hot water over it. Frowning inwardly, Sesshomaru felt an urge to see her eyes. The incomplete feeling was intensified knowing that he could not see them lit until she was revived.

Sesshomaru categorized the feeling in his mind, knowing that as soon as he understood this feeling, he would be able to be rid of it and the cause. In his pause to do this, he noticed that her hair was still in clumps of blood. The demon smoothly rearranged her so that her back lay over his thigh as he propped it up against the boulder, lowering her head far enough to drift her hair through the water. Noting the bloody water, Sesshomaru shifted a little to the side to soak her in clean water once again. Running his fingers through her hair, he brushed out the mess and untangled some of the locks that became smoother as they were cleansed. Inspecting her critically, he found her cleaned to his satisfaction when he felt a small presence coming in his direction. Unconcerned with the weak threat, Sesshomaru simply awaited the creature's arrival in the water, straightening and pressing the miko to his side with his arm.

The kitsune cub that he had seen at the battle ground sprung forth from the trees, looking around frantically. Spotting Sesshomaru and the miko, the cub yelped, but continued closer to the edge of the spring to cry out, "Mama?" Watching the little fox nervously twitch about, Sesshomaru saw his eyes widen when he spotted the blood in the water around them. Suddenly the cub gave an expression of defiance and rage that almost perfectly mimicked the one that Inuyasha had shown earlier.

"What have you done to Kagome?" the kitsune demanded of Sesshomaru, poised to jump to Kagome at a moment's notice.

The demon lord quirked an eyebrow at the impetuous child and chose to remain silent. He slowly moved out of the water, bringing the miko with him. The cub tensed, but made no move to stop Sesshomaru quite yet. Only after the Taiyoukai set the miko down to put his clothes back on, did the kitsune rush to the motionless woman. He sniffed her anxiously and keened softly when he saw the harsh wound on the miko's waist. Crouching next to her, he gently licked around the wound and pressed himself into her side as tightly as he could, whimpering slightly now and then.

Having completed dressing, Sesshomaru was intrigued to notice that no sign of the barrier came to attention. He wondered whether it was something in her powers that chose whom could penetrate her defenses or if it was an unconscious decision of her mind. Shaking his thoughts clear, Sesshomaru strode over to stand above the woman and the kit.

"It is time to return, kit," he coolly stated, making the little cub twitch apprehensively. Looking nervously at the looming demon lord, the young kitsune clung tightly to the miko and nodded. Lifting both the woman and the child, Sesshomaru wrapped his tail around the miko to keep her from becoming cold and left the spring behind them. Hearing little sobs, the Taiyoukai gave the cub a short glare and he quieted quickly.

As they approached Kaede's hut once more, they found the demon exterminator outside and looking out for their return. Giving a sharp call, the houshi and the hanyou quickly exited the hut and looked at the returning demon lord and their friends.

Inuyasha was growling before Sesshomaru had even come close to the gate. "Where are all her clothes?" Inuyasha snapped.

Sesshomaru merely gave a look at the hanyou that suggested the stupidity behind his question and began to enter the hut. As he passed the group, they were forced back by crackling pink energy, indicating that the barrier had not let up at the spring, as Sesshomaru had wondered when the kit had clung to the miko. Ignoring their presence, he resumed his task of placing the miko on the mat where she had rested before. The stench of human had seemed to become worse on his second entry into the hut and it was beginning to irritate the demon lord beyond his patience. He would have to leave, quickly. Finding the old woman in the hut as well, Sesshomaru addressed her.

"There is a swelling on the woman's ankle, otherwise all damage has been dealt with," the demon lord said stoically, as the kitsune once again curled into the miko's side.

Kaede bowed low, "I am grateful to you, Sesshomaru-sama." Simple, but effective, and Sesshomaru could almost appreciate that he only had to remain in the hut for a short time… almost. With a short, restrained glance at the still miko, Sesshomaru turned and forced his legs out of the hut, even as his senses screamed that his task was not yet complete. Ignoring this, he brushed past the group lingering outside of the hut in discussion and began his journey back to his lands. He still had duties to finish there, in any case.

-----

Sesshomaru inwardly grinned as he licked the blood off of some of his claws. He had been pleased to find that the group of wolf youkai had remained on the outskirts of his land from this morning, as they had been a pleasant outlet for the frustration that was building in his senses. Satisfying a part of his bloodlust eased his nagging senses somewhat and he felt calmer than he had when he first forced himself away from the miko. Though he had not killed any of the mangy wolves, they would not forget the strength of the lord of these lands.

Now, however, the pleasure of the short hunt was already beginning to fade and he was torn between which course to take. Ordinarily, Sesshomaru would return to his castle and take care of the political affairs as well as check on his small charge. However, now that he had accomplished the defense of his lands, the urge to return to the strange miko was becoming increasingly strong. He knew that the political matters could very well wait another day and that Rin was in… acceptable care. At least his retainer understood what would happen to him should any harm come to the child. This only made the decision sway towards the return to the miko. It was only his distaste of the human village and of his filthy half-brother that was keeping him away at this point.

A little thought nagged at the edges of his consciousness, it asked if the great demon lord Sesshomaru was too weak to withstand the stench of humans in order to satisfy his curiosity. Enraged at his own mind's question, Sesshomaru made his decision. Forming his cloud beneath his feet, he turned towards the human village once again, intent of discovering the source of his fascination with the miko before the day was out.

-----

Approaching the old woman's hut once more, Sesshomaru made sure to take a deep breath before entering the enclosed space. Surprisingly, no one had been outside to either greet him or try to chase him away, in the hanyou's case. Upon opening the door, Sesshomaru could see why. Inuyasha was pressed flat against the floor and glaring directly at the demon lord in fury. The taijiya, the monk, and the old woman were sitting on mats, simply watching the scene take place. The most interesting part of the event, however, would be the formerly broken miko, sitting with her back to the wall and the small kit in her arms, looking at the Taiyoukai with a mixture of curiosity, gratitude, and slight nervousness.

Her eyes dragged his gaze deep into her, as though the miko was sucking his soul into her body. Their midnight blue depths tugged at both his mind and body, and he realized that he had moved towards the woman without a second thought. Composing himself, Sesshomaru inwardly shrugged off the lure of the miko's eyes and made himself look over her body instead.

The wounds were healing nicely, apparently. They had dressed her in a loose, tan kimono to give her back some of her decency, he supposed. From the marks he could see, the skin was already healing over nicely, even compared to a few hours earlier. As she sat, the miko showed no signs of flinching or pain, so Sesshomaru could assume that her nastier wounds were not causing her too much discomfort. This soothed his senses and Sesshomaru found himself completely calm since first detecting her blood this morning. He noticed the miko still looking at him curiously and becoming impatient, and the small kitsune watched him intently as well.

Finally, it seemed as though the woman could no longer bear the silence that had fallen on the hut, other than the soft growls emanating from the still-prone Inuyasha. "Sesshomaru-sama," the miko murmured softly. Sesshomaru was surprised to hear the gentleness of her voice; he would never have expected a human capable of sounding so pleasant. He wondered how he had not noticed in their battles before. She continued, "I heard of all that you did for me while I was unconscious. Thank you very much, Sesshomaru-sama," and she bowed her head low to him, a slight wince crossed her face until her features were hidden behind a curtain of her dark hair.

_A flash of that raven hair, curling over smooth skin, the plump lips that lay below…_ Sesshomaru nearly started at being reminded of his haunting dream by this woman. A twinge of what may have been concern overpowered his startled sensation and he leaned forward to try to capture her gaze once again. Feeling the demon lord so near, the miko snapped her head back up to look at him and a flash of surprise and pain moved across her familiar features.

Sesshomaru coolly stated in a low tone, "You are still injured." He pointed towards the spot where he knew the large gash ran along her waist, "Right there. You will not move to disturb the wound."

The spark of pain rapidly turned into anger and the woman snapped, "I am grateful, Sesshomaru-sama, but you cannot just order me around as though you were in charge of me." The fire in her eyes incited the demon that lingered in Sesshomaru's mind and his own eyes lit with the spark of challenge.

The demon lord smoothly reached out a hand and grasped the woman's jaw firmly, causing both the anger and the nervousness in her scent to spike sharply. Watching her glare defiantly at him, Sesshomaru purred dangerously, "You will not presume to tell this Sesshomaru what he can or cannot do."

The miko clutched the kit tightly to her, almost unconsciously, as her whole body stiffened. "These are not your lands, Sesshomaru-sama," the annoyed woman retorted, "One would think that a demon lord would recognize where his territories ended and another's began."

Sesshomaru nearly allowed himself to let his anger spark, but he was all too aware how injured the woman truly was and he did not wish to perturb his senses again, the demon lord quelled his irritation. It had been a long time, however, since a simple ningen had sparked such anger in him. A strange occurrence. Obviously, there was more to this miko than what there appeared to be. Sesshomaru moved back slightly and locked his gaze on hers once more, "What is your name, miko?"

Startled, the woman's eyes widened. Shaking herself gently, her tone became calm once more. "Higurashi Kagome," she stated, clearly surprised at the turn of events.

"Kagome," Sesshomaru tested out the name, it rolled off of his lips quite easily. Focusing again, he gave a slight nod, "This Sesshomaru will remember that name."

A growl sounded loudly behind the demon lord and caught the attention of both the Taiyoukai and Kagome. Sesshomaru slowly retreated from the woman and Kagome peered around him to look at Inuyasha, who it seemed had risen to his feet once more. A little dazed, it appeared as though Kagome had not noticed any of her surroundings other than Sesshomaru when he had first appeared, and she was somewhat sheepish to realize that her friends had been watching the entire time.

Clutching the hilt of Tetsusaiga firmly, Inuyasha took a fighting stance and gave Sesshomaru a hated look. "There won't be a need for you to remember her name once you are gone," the hanyou growled, eyes flickering.

Giving the half-breed a careless look, the demon lord gave a swift motion towards the door, having endured the reek for a good amount of time when the monk addressed him.

"Will you be returning, Sesshomaru-sama?" The houshi's tone implied his uncertainty of whether the demon lord's presence would be welcome further on. Though Sesshomaru was satisfied for the moment, having witnessed the miko awake and clearheaded, he wasn't about to leave entirely. However, he only spared the monk a short look that stated that he had no intention of responding before sweeping out the door and settling down to wait a while near the outskirts of the village, where the stench was less intense.

---


End file.
